Blake Young to US MotoGP Rounds as CRT Wildcard Entry

Last year, the California-based Attack Performance entered its Kawasaki-powered APR CRT project bike into all the US MotoGP rounds.

With Steve Rapp at the controls during those 2012 rounds (Laguna Seca Mazda Raceway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway), the team failed to qualify at Laguna Seca, but finished 14th at Indy. For 2013, the Austin-based Circuit of the Americas (COTA) will also be on the stateside schedule.

And for 2013, the Attack Performance team will once again enter the US rounds of the MotoGP Championship, this time with AMA Superbike star Blake Young.

Team owner, Richard Stanboli, reported that the Huntington-based team is working on improving the in-house built chassis. Stanboli reported the biggest issue the team had during its DNQ at Laguna Seca was the inability to test the spec-Bridgestone tires before the weekend. But this should not be an issue in 2013.

MotoGP reports that the data gathered from the previous rounds is being used in the development of the bike, which is set to get a run-out on track later this month, and then at the Circuit of Americas track in February. The spec Magneti Marelli ECU that will be used this season is not an option for wildcard entries, yet this is no setback for Stanboli, who commented that the team is familiar with both Marelli and Motec software, and hence will continue using its Motec M1 system.

Richard Stanboli says: “It is a very advanced ECU and comparable to the Marelli. We have refined a number of the strategies from last year, so we don’t feel the ECU will be a disadvantage. We have made and will continue to make changes in the chassis as we test more and get closer to our first event in Austin.”

Young will bring much experience to the grid. The 25-year-old Wisconsin native finished runner up to Josh Hayes (Graves Yamaha) in the 2011 and 2012 AMA Superbike championships. But Young will have to adapt to the Bridgestone tires and carbon brakes, and like all others, learn the new COTA circuit.